S. Mahunka szerk.: Folia Entomologica Hungarica 58. (Budapest, 1997)

ROVARTANI KÖZLEMÉNYEK LVIII 1997 pp. 159-168 Recent data on the knowledge of the fauna of tarsonemid mites (Acari: Heterostigmata) on ornamental trees and shrubs G. Ripka, W. L. Magowski and K. Reider Recent data on the knowledge of the fauna of tarsonemid mites (Acari: Heterostigmata) on ornamental trees and shrubs - The authors report the results of studies done in 1990-1996 in road trees, parks, green areas of housing estates and arboreta. Out of the 269 woody plant species studied, tarsonemid mites were found on 48 species. A total of 22 tarsonemid mite species were found, of which eight species belong to the genus Dendroptus Kramer, 1876 and 13 to genus Tarsonemus Canestrini et Fanzago, 1876. Seven species of Dendroptus and three of Tarsonemus could not be identified with certainty. Four species are recorded for the first time for Hungarian fauna. 52.7% of the recorded tarsonemid mite species occurred on plant parts infested with gall mites (Acari: Eriophyoidea); 13.5% were found present with spider mites (Acari: Tetranychidae) and 22.9% together with scale insects (Homoptera: Coccoidea). The tarsonemid mites have not been observed causing damage to examined plant species. INTRODUCTION As far as the feeding behaviour of plant inhabiting mites is concerned, three major groups, i.e., phytophagous (feeding on living plant tissues), predatory (preying on other living animals) and saprophagous species (consuming decaying plant or animal matter) can be established. Along with those groupings, there are many examples of other curious lifestyles, e.g., parasitism on plant feeding insects (tarsonemid mites parasitising bark beetles, hemisarcoptid mites parasitising scale insects or erythraeid mites parasitising aphids) or microphytophagy (tarsonemid mites feeding on fungi and algae occurring on erected vegetation). The majority of tarsonemid genera do not feed on green plants, and are fungivorous, less frequently parasitic or parasitoid (Lindquist 1986). Genera Phytonemus, Polyphagotarsonemus, Hemitarsonemus, Steneotarsonemus, Ogmotarsonemus and Suskia are exceptional in phytophagy and can cause damage of economic significance to horticultural and floricultural crops (in Hungary see for instance Nemestóthy 1983). Many genera consist (among them Tarsonemus) of fungivorous species. Species of the genus Dendroptus are mainly found on deciduous trees and shrubs, frequently in association with eriophyoid mites; it was found that they can feed on mite induced erineal plant tissue (Beer 1963; review in Lindquist 1986, other authors - see discussion). The present knowledge on tarsonemids on woody plants remains scanty. In Poland (Suski 1967, 19726), Ireland (Momen 1987) and USA (Strickler et al. 1987), 7, 12 and 2 tarsonemid species were recorded respectively on apple trees. Gerson (1971) in Israel and Garcia Mari et al. (1986) in Spain recorded the presence of 7 and 3 tarsonemid species, respectively, on citrus species.